Hi all, I'm in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I'm looking for someone I can pay to sit down with, show them everything I have to work with and look for ways I can continue to grow.

Sounds like you have a solid marketing budget, and a great plan to continue marketing as you make deals.

Continue educating yourself by reading books, listening to podcasts and networking with local RE PRO's.

Should I continue to pursue this or wait until I return from overseas? 

Allowances can be made for seasonal employment, typical for the building trades and agriculture, if documented by the lender.When analyzing the probability of continued employment, the lender must examine the borrower’s past employment record qualifications for the position previous training and education, and the employer’s confirmation of continued employment. 

Least that’s how it works in our area with other property types, “continuous use” allows you to be grandfathered in, as long as you don’t go idle for 24 consecutive months.

Job and population growths. some new builds A type buildings that were over price will reduce in value the most.

In that time concentrate on continuing to educate yourself on this forum.

So here goes...My wife and I were just plotting our path forward as we continue to research various aspects of REI.

House hacking combined with a 1031 exchange method has the power to truly broaden your investing horizons should you choose to continue investing.